Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are used throughout medicine to test new forms of therapy. They are used to evaluate potential treatments that have shown activity against disease in the test tube, animal studies, or in a limited number of patients. These trials test this potential. It is important to remember that these are not established therapies or generally accepted treatments until they have been proven safe and effective. Our trials typically test a new drug or medical device that we believe will help our patients with one or more of the many complications of kidney failure.

Research begins with a basic ethical question: "Do the potential benefits outweigh the potential harm?" Trials are designed to allow researchers to learn as much as possible about a new treatment or medication in a way that minimizes the risk of injury to participants.